There is a little doubt that horror films have had to raise their game in recent years. While classic horror has a certain artistic, romantic charm, there is a more insidious sub genre that seeks to twist the audience’s moral limits and test their psychological fortitude: “torture” films.

The Human Centipede is probably the most notorious “torture” horror film to make it in to North American theatres and more importantly, Netflix. This is how many of my friends were first exposed to the film and, lured in by the unique premise, this is how many came to loathe this movie. But despite widespread revulsion and even refusal to watch the film (and its sequel) in their entirety, I am stepping up in defence of The Human Centipede as one of the most successful visceral torture horror films.

When it came to my faovurite monster of villain, my first thought was Dracula. I grew up watching the old Universal Bela Lugosi flicks, moving on to the Hammer films with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee later on. I’ve had a thing for vampires as long as I can remember. But upon deeper thought, it occurred to me that my favourite monsters aren’t the ones that I go back to regularly. Instead, they’re the ones that I tend to not see so often, except for special occassions. Sort of like family.